JP2015501074A - Improved electrical connector assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

A first connector (10) and a second connector each having a first and a second terminal (20A, 20B), and a first and a second interlock terminal (22C, provided in the first connector (10)) 22D), wherein the first connector (10) and the second connector are formed to be fitted / separated along the fitting axis (XX), and the second connector Comprises a shut-off system configured to shut off the first connector (10) and the second connector at an intermediate position during separation, wherein the first and second terminals (20A, 20B) are Connected to each other, the interlock terminals (22C, 22D) are cut from each other, and the second connector is formed to fix the first and second connectors at an intermediate position. An electrical connector assembly which comprises a fixed system.

Description

  The present invention relates to an electrical connector assembly, in particular a power terminal assembly for a power-fuel hybrid vehicle or a complete electric vehicle.

  Recent trends in the automotive industry are concerned with these power-fuel hybrid vehicles or fully electric vehicles, which are powered by batteries with high current and / or high voltage via cables.

  Electric batteries are used to supply energy to the engines of these vehicles, but can also be used to supply electricity for other electrical devices in the vehicle.

  Electrical connector assemblies are used to electrically connect batteries to other electrical equipment. Each such electrical connector assembly includes a first connector connected to the battery and a second connector connected to the electrical equipment. Instead of being connected to a battery, the first connector can be connected to other elements of the vehicle such as motors, air conditioning systems and the like.

  For safety reasons, little or no electricity needs to flow through the power terminals while the connector is not mated.

  It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved electrical connector assembly that ensures that the power terminals are powered off before the connectors are mated.

  For this purpose, a first connector having first and second terminals, a second connector having first and second terminals, a first interlock terminal and a second connector provided in the first connector. An electrical connector assembly having an interlock terminal is provided.

  The first and second connectors are connected along the fitting axis between the unfitted position and the fitting completion position in order to connect and disconnect the first terminals, the second terminals, and the interlock terminals. It is formed to be fitted and separated.

  The second connector includes a blocking system configured to block the first and second connectors at an intermediate position when the first and second connectors are separated.

  In the intermediate position, the first terminals are connected to each other and the second terminals are connected to each other, but the interlock terminals are disconnected from each other.

  The second connector includes a securing system configured to secure the first and second connectors at an intermediate position.

  With these features, interruptions are introduced in the separation operation, and the operator cannot separate the two connectors only by separating them along the mating axis.

  In certain embodiments of the invention, one or more features defined in the claims may also be used.

  Other features and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from the description of embodiments thereof, given below as non-limiting examples, and from the accompanying drawings.

1 is a perspective view illustrating a first connector of an electrical connector assembly according to the present invention. It is the perspective view which showed the 2nd connector aiming at fitting with the 1st connector of FIG. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the electrical connector assembly showing the first connector of FIG. 1 and the second connector of FIG. 2 in an intermediate position. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal horizontal sectional view of the electrical connector assembly showing the first connector of FIG. 1 and the second connector of FIG. 2 in an intermediate position. It is the figure which showed the cross section similar to FIG. 3 in another plane. FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the first connector of FIG. 1 and the second connector of FIG. 2 in the mating position.

  In the different figures, the same reference signs refer to similar or analogous elements.

  FIG. 1 shows details of the first connector 10 that fits along the longitudinal fitting axis XX with the second connector 12 shown in FIG. 2, and the first connector is mechanically and electrically second connector. To form an electrical connector assembly.

  In different views, the mating axis XX is oriented from the first connector 10 toward the second connector 12.

  The first connector 10 of FIG. 1 includes a first outer housing 13 and an inner housing 14.

  The first housing 13 has a generally tubular shape having an elliptical cross section, and extends along the fitting axis XX.

  The inner housing 14 has a generally tubular shape having an elliptical cross section, and extends along the fitting axis XX in the first housing 13.

  Inner housing 14 includes two cylindrical sleeves 16A and 16B extending along individual axes AA and BB, each sleeve being parallel to mating axis XX and defining an individual receiving chamber 18A and 18B. ing.

  The first connector 10 includes a first male power terminal 20A and a second male power terminal 20B that are housed in the individual housing chambers 18A and 18B and extend along the individual axes AA and BB.

  The first connector 10 includes a first interlock terminal 22C and a second interlock terminal 22D that are disposed between the accommodating chambers 18A and 18B and extend in parallel with the fitting axis XX. The interlock terminals 22C and 22D are intended to be connected to an electrically controllable power switch. The interlock terminals 22C and 22D are connected for the purpose of closing the power switch, and the interlock terminals 22C and 22D are disconnected for the purpose of opening the power switch.

  The male power terminals 20A and 20B are intended to be connected to a power source such as an electric battery via a power switch.

  The first connector 10 includes two insulating lugs 23C and 23D arranged at the front ends of the individual interlock terminals 22C and 22D.

  The first connector 10 further includes guide pins 24 protruding upward from the upper wall 26 of the first housing 13.

  Referring to FIG. 2, the second connector 12 includes a second outer housing 28 and an inner housing 29.

  The second housing 28 is a tube 30 having an overall elliptical cross section, and extends along the fitting axis XX. The second housing 28 includes an upper wall 32 that extends parallel to the fitting axis XX and is adjacent to the tube 30.

  The inner housing 29 has a generally tubular shape having an elliptical cross section, and extends along the fitting axis XX inside the tube 30 of the second housing 28.

  Inner housing 29 includes two cylindrical sleeves 34A and 34B extending along one of the individual axes AA and BB and defining individual containment chambers 36A and 36B.

  The second connector 12 includes a first female power terminal 38A and a second female power terminal 38B housed in the individual housing chambers 36A and 36B and extending along the individual axes AA and BB. The female power terminals 38A and 38B are intended to be connected to an electrical device such as an automobile engine.

  As best seen in FIG. 3, the second connector 12 includes an interlock shorting member 40 with two flexible arms 42C and 42D. The short-circuit member 40 is disposed between the two sleeves 34A and 34B, and when the first connector 10 and the second connector 12 are in the mating process, the flexible arms 42C and 42D are initially connected to the individual interlocks. Located in front of the terminals 22C and 22D and then bent towards each other by the insulating lugs 23C and 23D (FIG. 3) and finally in contact with the interlock terminals 22C and 22D (FIG. 6).

  The second connector 12 includes a slider 44 having a tubular shape along the fitting axis XX. The slider 44 is slidably assembled on the second housing 28 along the fitting axis XX, and includes a vertically long rack tooth 46 extending in parallel with the fitting axis XX.

  The button 48 is provided on the slider 44 and hinged so as to be pushed along a direction orthogonal to the fitting axis XX.

  The slider 44 includes stop teeth 50 (FIG. 5) that protrude toward the upper wall 32 and that include a front wall 52 and a rear slope 54.

  The second connector 12 includes a cam gear 56 assembled to the upper wall 32 of the second housing 28 so as to be rotatable around an axis YY orthogonal to the fitting axis XX.

  As best seen in FIG. 4, the cam gear 56 includes a guide groove 58 for receiving and driving the guide pin 24 of the first connector 10 (FIG. 1). The guide groove 58 has a substantially circular shape centered on an axis parallel to the axis YY and offset from the axis YY.

  The guide groove 58 includes an inlet opening 60 and a side wall 62 that defines the outer periphery of the guide groove 58.

  The cam gear 56 includes a holding shoulder 64 provided in the guide groove 58 and holds the guide pin 24 in the guide groove 58. The holding shoulder 64 is generally arcuate and is provided on a side wall 62 adjacent to the inlet opening 60.

  Hereinafter, it is referred to as an intermediate position and is also represented in FIGS. 3 and 5, but the guide pin 24 is the end point of the holding shoulder 64 at the position of the first connector 10 and the second connector 12 as shown in FIG. 4. 66 is in contact with the holding shoulder 64. The tangent line of the guide pin 24 at the end point 66 has an angle α of 10 ° to 20 ° with respect to the axis ZZ perpendicular to the axes XX and YY. For example, α is about 14.8 °.

  The cam gear 56 includes a gear section 68 with teeth extending in a circle around the axis YY. The teeth of the gear section 68 are formed so as to mesh with the vertically long rack teeth 46 of the slider 44.

  The cam gear 56 further includes a chamber 70 that is opened in the radial direction around the cam gear 56. The chamber 70 is delimited on one side by a barrier 72 and on the other side by a wall 74 shared with the guide groove 58.

  The cam gear 56 includes an outer peripheral contact surface 76 disposed between the gear section 68 and the chamber 70 on the opposite side of the guide groove 58.

  The blocking element 78 is provided to block the first connector 10 and the second connector 12 when the first connector 10 and the second connector 12 are fitted. The blocking element 78 is assembled to the upper wall 32 so as to be slidable along a direction parallel to the fitting axis XX. This is because the blocking arm 80 of the blocking element 78 enters the chamber 70, and thereby the cam gear 56. This is because it becomes a front blocking position that blocks the rotation of.

  The blocking element 78 further comprises a flexible arm 82 with stop teeth 84 intended to cooperate with the stop teeth 50 of the slider 44. As shown in FIG. 5, the stop teeth 84 engage the front bevel 86 for cooperating with the rear bevel 54 and the front wall 52 of the stop teeth 50 to slide the slider 44 backwards. And a rear wall 88 for stopping the forward movement of the slider 44.

  The fitting operation between the first connector 10 and the second connector 12 will be described below.

  Initially, the first connector 10 and the second connector 12 are in an unfitted / unassembled position and are aligned along the mating axis XX but are spaced apart from each other.

  The slider 44 of the second connector 12 is in a front position with respect to the second housing 28, the vertically long rack teeth 46 are engaged with the gear section 68 of the cam gear 56, and the inlet opening 60 of the guide groove 58 is the first connector. It is directed backwards in front of the ten guide pins 24.

  The blocking element 78 faces the contact surface 76 of the cam gear 56 and is positioned forward together with the blocking arm 80.

  Next, the first connector 10 and the second connector 12 are brought close to each other until the guide pin 24 of the first connector 10 enters the guide groove 58 of the cam gear 56 through the inlet opening 60.

  Next, the slider 44 is moved backward along the fitting axis XX, whereby the rack teeth 46 rotate the cam gear 56 through the meshing of the teeth. As the cam gear 56 rotates, the guide pin 24 is moved along the guide groove 58 to assist in moving the first connector 10 toward the final mating position / assembled position toward the second connector.

  The rotation of the cam gear 56 stops when the guide pin 24 hits the end of the guide groove 58 and the abutment surface 76 is driven to be released from engagement with the blocking element 78.

  During this mating operation, the male power terminals 20A and 20B are first connected to the individual female power terminals 38A and 38B, and then the interlock terminals 22C and 22D are connected to each other via the interlock short circuit element 40 ( FIG. 6).

  This leads to the closing of the power switch and the subsequent power-up of the circuit comprising the power terminals 20A, 20B, 38A and 38B.

  The first connector 10 and the second connector 12 are then blocked at the mated position by pushing the blocking element 78 backwards, and the blocking arm 80 enters the chamber 70 of the cam gear 56. Therefore, the cam gear 56 is prevented from rotating in the direction of the arrow F with respect to the barrier 72 of the chamber 70 through the contact of the blocking arm 80, thereby preventing the slider 44 from sliding forward.

  In order to separate the first connector 10 from the second connector 12, the blocking element 78 is pushed forward, releasing the cam gear 56 from the blocking arm 80.

  The slider 44 is then moved forward, which leads to rotating the cam gear 56 to an intermediate position. In this intermediate position, the stop teeth 50 of the slider 44 engage with the stop teeth 84 of the blocking element 78 (FIG. 5), thereby preventing the slider 44 from sliding further away from the first connector 10.

  At the intermediate position, the guide pin 24 is held in the guide groove 58 by the holding shoulder 64 (FIG. 4), and the first connector 10 and the second connector 12 are fixed at this position.

  In the intermediate position, male power terminals 20A and 20B are still connected to female power terminals 38A and 38B, but interlock terminals 22C and 22D are disconnected from each other.

  The button 48 is then pushed along an axis parallel to the axis YY, and the button bends the flexible arm 82 downward, thereby disengaging the stop tooth 84 from the stop tooth 50 of the slider 44.

  Next, the slider 44 is moved further away from the first connector 10, the guide pin 24 is disengaged from the guide groove 58, and the first connector 10 and the second connector 12 are separated.

  Guide pin 24, slider 44, and cam gear 56 form a mating / separation system for the two connectors 10 and 12.

  The blocking element 78 with the stop teeth 84 and the stop teeth 50 of the slider 44 form a blocking system, and when the first connector 10 and the second connector 12 are separated, the first and second connectors 12 and 12 Is blocking.

  The holding shoulder 64 forms a fixing system that fixes the first connector 10 and the second connector 12 at an intermediate position. Actually, even when the operator applies a forward force to the slider 44, the cam pin 56 is prevented from rotating in the direction of the arrow Z by being captured in the holding shoulder 64. ing. Therefore, the operator cannot separate the two connectors 10 and 12 only by separating them along the fitting axis XX.

  Button 48 forms a release system that releases the blocking system, thereby releasing first connector 10 and second connector 12 from an intermediate position.

  A block system with a locking system and a release system can ensure that the male power terminals 20A and 20B are no longer powered while being disconnected from the female power terminals 38A and 38B. This prevents the electric arc discharge that occurs during the separation of the first and second connectors. In fact, the time required by the operator to activate the release system is, for example, at least 1 second, which is sufficient for power disconnection of the power terminals 20A, 20B, 38A, and 38B. Thus, in the intermediate position, power terminals 20A, 20B, 38A, and 38B are disconnected from the power source but are still connected to each other, and the remaining power flow is from one power terminal to another. It is decreasing by the flow to.

  Accordingly, the present invention provides an electrical connector assembly in which the first and second connectors can be safely separated.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... 1st connector 12 ... 2nd connector 13 ... 1st outer housing | casing 14, 29 ... Inner housing 16A, 16B, 34A, 34B ... Cylindrical sleeve 18A, 18B, 36A, 36B・ ・ ・ Storage chamber 20A ・ ・ ・ First male power terminal 20B ・ ・ ・ Second male power terminal 22C ・ ・ ・ First interlock terminal 22D ・ ・ ・ Second interlock terminal 23C, 23D ・ ・ ・ Insulation lug 24・ ・ ・ Guide pins 26, 32 ・ ・ ・ Upper wall 28 ・ ・ ・ Second outer casing 30 ・ ・ ・ Tube 38A ・ ・ ・ First female power terminal 38B ・ ・ ・ Second female power terminal 40 ・ ・ ・ Inter Lock short-circuit member 42C, 42D, 82 ... flexible arm 44 ... slider 46 ... rack tooth 48 ... button 50, 84 ... stop tooth 52 ... front wall 54 ... Rear slope 56 ... Cam gear 58 ... Guide groove 60 ... Entrance opening 62 ... Side wall 64 ... Holding shoulder 68 ... Gear section 70 ... Chamber 72 ... Barrier 74 ・ ・ ・ Wall 76 ・ ・ ・ Outer peripheral contact surface 78 ・ ・ ・ Blocking element 80 ・ ・ ・ Blocking arm 86 ・ ・ ・ Front slope 88 ・ ・ ・ Rear wall

Claims (11)

A first connector (10) having first and second terminals (20A, 20B), a second connector (12) having first and second terminals (38A, 38B), and the first connector (10 A first interlock terminal (22C) and a second interlock terminal (22D) provided in the electrical connector assembly,
The first and second connectors (10, 12) connect the first terminals (20A, 38A) to each other, the second terminals (20B, 38B), and the interlock terminals (22C, 22D) to each other. In order to cut, it is formed so as to be fitted and separated along the fitting axis (XX) between the unfitted position and the fitting completion position.
The second connector (12) is formed so as to block the first and second connectors (10, 12) at an intermediate position when the first and second connectors (10, 12) are separated. System,
In the intermediate position, the first terminals (20A, 38A) are connected to each other, the second terminals (20B, 38B) are connected to each other, and the interlock terminals (22C, 22D) are disconnected from each other. Has been
The electrical connector assembly, wherein the second connector (12) comprises a securing system configured to secure the first and second connectors (10, 12) in the intermediate position. The first connector (10) accommodates corresponding first and second terminals (20A, 20B), interlock terminals (22C, 22D), and guide pins (24) protruding from the first housing (13). The first housing (13),
The second connector (12) is a slider (assembled on the second housing (28) so as to be slidable along the corresponding first and second terminals (38A, 38B) and the fitting shaft (XX). 44), and a second housing that houses a cam gear (56) assembled to the second housing (28) so as to be rotatable about an axis (YY) orthogonal to the fitting shaft (XX). ,
The guide pin (24), the slider (44), and the cam gear (56) are formed to cooperate with each other, and assist the fitting / separation of the first and second connectors (10, 12). The electrical connector assembly of claim 1 wherein: The cam gear (56) includes a guide groove (58) formed to receive and drive the guide pin (24);
The securing system comprises a holding shoulder (64) provided in the guide groove (58) and configured to hold a guide pin (24) in the guide groove (58). The electrical connector assembly according to claim 2. The guide groove (58) comprises an inlet opening (60) and a side wall (62) defining an outer periphery of the guide groove (58),
The electrical connector assembly according to claim 3, wherein the retaining shoulder (64) is provided on a side wall (62) adjacent to the inlet opening (60).   In the intermediate position, the guide pin (24) is held in the guide groove (58) by the holding shoulder (64), and the guide pin (24) is in contact with the holding shoulder (64). 5. The electrical connector assembly according to claim 3, wherein the tangent forms an angle of approximately 10 ° to 20 ° with respect to an axis (ZZ) orthogonal to the fitting axis (XX). .   The shut-off system comprises stop teeth (84) assembled to the second housing (28) and configured to cooperate with corresponding stop teeth (50) provided on the slider (44). 6. An electrical connector assembly according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that it comprises a blocking element (78).   The electrical connector assembly includes a release system configured to release the shut-off system, thereby releasing the first and second connectors (10, 12) from the intermediate position. The electrical connector assembly according to any one of 1 to 6.   The release system includes a button (48) hinged to the slider (44) and configured to be pushed along a direction perpendicular to the mating axis, thereby providing the stop teeth (50, 84). The electrical connector assembly according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the electrical connector assembly is separated from each other.   The electrical connector assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the blocking system is further configured to block the first and second connectors in the mated position. An electrical device for a motor vehicle comprising a motor vehicle element, an electrically controllable power switch, and the electrical connector assembly according to any one of claims 1-9,
The first and second terminals (20A, 20B) of the first connector (10) are connected to the automobile element via the power switch,
The interlock terminal (22C, 22D) is connected to the power switch, the connection of the interlock terminal (22C, 22D) closes the power switch, and the disconnection of the interlock terminal (22C, 22D) is the power supply. An electrical device characterized by opening a switch.   10. A connector for an electrical connector assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the connector comprises the features of the second connector (12) of the assembly.

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